Improvement in rotary steam-engines



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N.PEI'ERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. wASHiNGToH, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEIV FLETCHER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY STEAM-ENGINES.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,165. dated November 28, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW FLETCHER, of Louisville, in the county ot' Jefferson and State ot' Kentucky', have invented new and useful Improvements in the Rotary Steam-Engine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specificattion, in which- Figure I is a side view. Fig. II is an end view. Fig. III is a cross-section at A B. Fig. IV is a cross-section at() I). Fig. V is an end View without the lid.

A (shown in Figs. I, II, III, IV, V) is thc base-plate for the engine to stand on.

B, Figs. I, III, IV, V, is an external cylinder bolted down to the base-plate and turned and bored ont at each end.

C C, Figs. I, II, IV, are the two end lids of cylinder, bored eccentric, which lids are bolted fast to the cylinder, and support the bushes or bearings a a, for the rotative shatt to work in.

D, Figs. III, IV, V, is an internal cylinder working in two brass rings, b b, and revolving independentlyT inside ofthe external cylinder.

E E E E, Figs. III, IV, V, are the iiiers or pistons where the steam presses on to exert its power, which fliers propel the drum F, Figs. III, IV, V, by pressing on them half-round pieces c c c c c c e c, Figs. III, V, and those half-rotin d pieces form joints or hinges for the fliers to move on and reciprocate through. Consequently the iiiers, as seen in Figs. III, V, lying against the inside of internal cylinder point to the center ofthe same. G G, Figs. I, II, IV, V, is the rotative shaft, which works in the bearings or bushes in lids ot' cylinder, and keyed fast, or made in one piece, with the drum. H H, Figs. I, II, IV, are the steam and eduction pipes, to admit or pass the steam in or out of the hollow ends or faceplates I I, Figs. III, IV, V. These steam or eduction pipes H H are screwed fast in the ends or face-plates and pass easy through the cylinder-lids. On the inside of the face-plates I I are the passages cut for the entry and delivery of steam. (See passages Figs. III, V.) One passage is cut at the opposite side to the other, so that by reversin g the entry of steam from one end ot' cylinder to the other it changes the rotary motion from right to left. There will be seen in Figs. III, IV, V four pieces of Hat steel, d d d d, beveled on their outer edges, and which work up and down in the drum-grooves, so as always to lie on the internal part of fliers E E E E. Those pieces of dat steel are kept out to their right distance by the crosspins e e e e, Figs. III, IV, V, which pins go through the drum, and on their ends lie against the internal part ot' those pieces ot` flat steel. This machine has aconcentric and eccentric motion, as the drum-shaft is out of the middle ot' cylinder, and consequently itcauses the distance of the outside of iiiers E E E E, in one part of their revolution, to be nearer together than at the other, (see Fig. III,) in which it will be seen that the upright liers are of a greater distance apart than the horizontal iiiers. This fault or deficiency is obviated by the motion of the tiiers in the joints wlere they work in, as it causes their internal part in its motion to lie on different parts of the beveled pieces ot' steel d d d d, and thereby the iiiers are always kept in the radius of the cylinder. 'The diterent principal parts ot' this machine are as follows: Figs. I, II, III, IV, V is the baseplate A. Figs. I, III, IV, V is the external cylinder, B B. Figs. I, 1I, 1V are the two end lids of cylinder, O C; Figs. III, IV, V, the internal cylinder, D I); Figs. III, IV, V, the fliers or pistons E E E E 5 Figs. III, IV, V, the grooved drum F; Figs. I, II, IV, V, the rotative shaft G G; Figs. I, II, IV, the steam or eduction pipes H H; Figs. III, V, the hollow movable ends or face-plates I I; Fig. IV, the bushes or bearings a a; Figs. III, IV, V, the two brass rings b b Figs. III, V, the half-round pieces that form the joints c c c c c c c c; Figs. III, IV, V, the hat pieces of steel d d l d Figs. III, IV, V, the cross-pins e e e e.

I do not claim the concentric and eccentric motion in conjunction with jointed fliers or pistons, (having used the same in my previous invention of 1841;) nor do I claim the movable face-plates 5 but I claimh l. The double cylinder, as described.

2'. The internal cylinder so arranged with reference to the iiers or pistons as to have a rotary motion nearly corresponding with them, and so as to rotate within the outer cylinder, substantially as shown and described.

3. The hollow rings or chambers placed withn in the cylinder-heads for the purpose of equal- In testimony whereof I have hereunto subizing` the pressure on the ends of the pistons, scribed my naine. substantially as shown and described.

4. The devices for always keeping the iers MATTHEW FLETCHER. or pistons against the sides ot' cylinder, although the distance of the outside of fliers one Witnesses: from the other differs in their revolution, as de- JOHN 'DOYLL7 scribed, and the Whole arranged substantially MICHAEL DAWSON. in the manner and for the purpose set forth. 

